Dark money is funding the redistricting fights

 

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While redistricting is a state-by-state battle, the money behind many of the campaigns can be traced back to a handful of groups that do not disclose their donors. Plus: We took a close look at the groups raising money to support or oppose the proposed billionaire tax in California, and we determined which Senate candidates have raised the most money this cycle. The same dark money groups keep turning up in redistricting fights The mid-decade fight to redraw congressional lines ahead of the November midterm elections has surged beyond statehouses and into ballot boxes and courtrooms – with millions of dollars pouring in to shape those outcomes, much of it from nonprofits that never have to say who is funding their activities. Voters in California and, most recently, Virginia have weighed in on new House maps. A Colorado group wants to put its own proposal before voters. Missouri petitioners are trying to stop a new map from taking effect. And lawsuits are stacking up from Florida to Utah. Joedy McCreary found one through-line: dark money from 501(c)(4) nonprofits. Free from donor-disclosure rules, these groups move large sums with little transparency and have helped turn state-by-state redistricting battles into nationalized, big-dollar fights bankrolled by tight networks of high spenders. “It’s a perfect example of where money is trying to influence policy outcomes, and redistricting is so high-stakes that now it’s just part of the process,” said Alex Keena, an associate professor of political science at Virginia Commonwealth University who has co-authored two books about redistricting. Take Virginia for example Virginians for Fair Elections, the main organization backing the redistricting effort, reported $63.2 million in large cash contributions, defined as any single contribution or loan of at least $10,000, between Feb. 6 and April 24. Nearly 97% of that total came from five 501(c)(4)s. House Majority Forward, which is aligned with Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives, contributed $39.3 million across 10 installments from Feb. 6 to April 10, the largest of which was $9.3 million on March 30. The Fairness Project, founded by a California-based healthcare workers union, contributed $11.7 million across five payments from Feb. 18 to April 9, including a $5 million contribution Feb. 18, in addition to $22,950 in in-kind contributions. The Fund for Policy Reform, funded by Democratic megadonor George Soros, donated $5 million on March 12. American Opportunity Action, which has been linked to former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, contributed $3.5 million. The Global Impact Social Welfare Fund, the 501(c)(4) arm of philanthropic organization Global Impact Ventures, donated $1.5 million across two contributions. The same structure appeared on the opposition side. The Virginians for Fair Maps Referendum Committee, which formed Feb. 9, reported $24.1 million in large contributions between March 2 and May 1. One organization – Virginians for Fair Maps, which shares a post office box in Alexandria with the committee – accounted for 98% of it. State records identify the group as a tax-exempt organization, but there is no corresponding listing for it or its classification in the IRS online database. Co-chaired by former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor(R-Va.), it donated $23.5 million across nine contributions from March 6 to May 1, a sum that includes $5 million contributions on both March 31 and April 7 along with $4 million on April 6. The Justice for Democracy PAC – founded by former state Del. A.C. Cordoza (R) and accused of distributing misleading mailers before the election – raised $10.2 million in large contributions between March 4 and April 24. More than 95% came from Per Aspera Policy Inc., a Massachusetts-based 501(c)(4) previously linked to billionaire tech investor Peter Thiel that donated $9.7 million – including four seven-figure contributions between March 26 and April 14. Read More

Americans agree: The role of money in politics is a big problem New polling from the Pew Research Center reveals that three-quarters of Americans agree that the role of money in politics is one of the biggest problems facing the United States, more than any other issue (including the cost of health care, inflation, gun violence and illegal immigration). This agreement stands regardless of party affiliation. Pew asked people whether a series of concerns (are “very big” problems for the country today. With more agreement than any other category, 74% of respondents said yes when asked about money in politics. That includes 79% of Democrats and 70% of Republicans. Health care affordability was the only other issue to crack 70%, but had a 25-point partisan gap. “Americans are not united on much these days, but there is vast agreement that the current campaign finance system is a problem,” said Hilary Braseth, executive director of OpenSecrets. “With super PACs raising and spending unlimited sums and often funded by dark money, individuals feel shut out of the process of governance. It’s worth a long, hard look at these numbers, and at what they’re telling us.” OpenSecrets keeps the records, the most comprehensive place to see how money plays out across both sides of the aisle. With more than $15 billion spent in the 2024 election cycle (which dwarfs election spending by other countries), you can follow the money across candidates, states, lobbying efforts and dark money sources. Care about this work? Support our efforts.

Healthcare union and tech titans pour millions into battle over California’s billionaire tax proposal Committees working for and against three potential California ballot initiatives related to a billionaire wealth tax have already raised $123.7 million, Jackie Mitchell reports. The healthcare union Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW) has directed more than $30 million to its campaign supporting the proposed Billionaire Tax Initiative. The measure would impose a one-time 5% tax on individuals or married couples with certain assets exceeding $1 billion. Under the initiative, revenues derived from the tax would go toward state healthcare, education and food assistance programs.  But a handful of billionaires have collectively contributed more than $116 million across political committees and groups working together to defeat the initiative in two ways – by directly opposing it and also by supporting two of their own initiatives that would block the tax from taking effect. Read More Chart of the week

Democrats dominate list of biggest Senate fundraisers When we tallied Senate candidates’ fundraising receipts at the end of the first quarter, a clear picture emerged – one covered in blue. Nine of the 10 candidates who have raised the most money this cycle are Democrats. The lone Republican on the list – Sen. Susan Collins (Maine) – just snuck in, having raised $10.3 million. That’s a far cry from Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), who led with $57 million and also tops the field with $31.7 million left in his campaign account. The top 10 includes six non-incumbents, but two of them are already out of their respective races. In March, Rep. Jasmine Crockett lost the Democratic Senate primary in Texas to James Talarico (second on the list) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi lost the Democratic Senate primary in Illinois. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton defeated Krishnamoorthi despite raising just $4.7 million. Sen. Lindey Graham (R-S.C.) has raised just $5.9 million this cycle, but he leads all Republican Senate candidates in cash on hand with $11.6 million. Totals reflect campaign filings covering the period ending March 31.

What else we're reading Political Dark Money Limits Clear Hurdles in Hawaii, Montana (Bloomberg Law) The Scale of Billionaires’ Campaign Donations is Overwhelming U.S. Politics (The New York Times) Colorado lawmakers want more lobbying transparency from the next governor. Could Polis stand in the way? (The Denver Post) Campaign staffers tell NPR they make 'thousands' betting on their own candidates (NPR) OpenSecrets in the News See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week: The Billionaire Whose Ad Barrage Is Upending the Georgia Governor’s Race (The New York Times) “You need enough money to compete so you can be viable, but having the most is not necessarily a determining factor,” said Brendan Glavin, the director of insights at OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan watchdog group. We’re reading about pharma lobbying, Bristol’s deal with a Chinese partner, and more (STAT News) The 17 pharmaceutical companies anchoring TrumpRx, the White House’s new prescription drug-pricing program, poured more than $130 million into federal lobbying in 2025 — a nearly 23% surge that outpaced the broader industry as the plan was being shaped behind the scenes, according to OpenSecrets, the nonprofit that tracks campaign financing and lobbying.  What to know about states’ efforts to limit corporate donations in politics (The Associated Press) The ruling has benefitted Democrats and Republicans. The campaign finance watchdog group OpenSecrets tracked more than $4 billion in outside political spending in the 2024 federal elections — almost 12 times as much as in 2008.  Poll: 72 percent say there’s too much money in American politics (The Hill) Election spending in 2024 topped $14.8 billion, according to data from OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan nonprofit that tracks money in politics. This amount would be the second-highest level of election spending used in U.S. politics, with the $18 billion spent in 2020 being the highest amount spent.  House Republicans Started Negotiating Housing. Developers Opened Their Wallets. (NOTUS) “This is how the system works, and this is how industries try to wield their influence,” Brendan Glavin, director of insights at the nonpartisan nonprofit OpenSecrets, which tracks the flow of money in U.S. politics. “It’s about letting people know that they appreciate your support, and that there are people out there who, you know, are behind your position and that they are there to support them.”  See More

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